Orthoses are used to support and hold body parts whose function is impaired by disease or accident. The orthosis bears with at least one plate-shaped part on the body part. Particularly in the case of orthoses that are to be worn permanently or over a long period of time, it is important that the plate-shaped part is well adapted to the body part.
DE 195 06 912 C2 discloses a method for producing a knee-joint orthosis composed of an upper leg part and a lower leg part that are connected to each other by means of joints and that can be produced individually according to a plaster cast. A plate made of thermoplastic and assigned to the upper leg, and another assigned to the lower leg, are cut to a shape defined by the model produced according to a plaster cast. The cut plates are heated to a predetermined temperature that permits deformation. The heated and cut plates are shaped on the produced model and secured by bandages. In this way, an upper leg part and a lower leg part are formed. Joint adapters are fitted to the model, and the joints are secured thereon. Thermoplastic linkage arms provided on the joints are heated and fixed by bandages. Bridge elements in the form of connecting strips of thermoplastic are shaped on the upper leg part and lower leg part in such a way that they extend between the ends of the linkage arms. After cooling, the bandages are removed, and the individual parts of the complete orthosis structure are bonded together by a plastic adhesive. This method is complicated and requires that a model, on which the orthosis is then secured, be produced by means of a plaster cast.